


My Hands, My Love

by wonderwanda



Category: Practical Magic (1998)
Genre: The Curse, palmistry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-10
Updated: 2016-12-10
Packaged: 2018-09-07 14:07:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8803795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wonderwanda/pseuds/wonderwanda
Summary: Now that the dust has settled, will the girls be tied down to their family legacy forever?





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Bethynyc](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bethynyc/gifts).



**Line of Heart**

Kylie is relieved after moving in with the aunts that they've agreed to relinquish the top of the column to she and Antonia. It feels like they are in the highest room of the tallest tower of a castle. Kylie is pleased with this—not because she wants to be rescued, but because it will be hardest to bother her so high above ground. She tosses in bed, palm throbbing.

"Don't do it...."

"Just one more paragraph."

"Antonia, go to bed!"

"I'm right at the Byzantium. Did you know that witches could catch the plague just from transmogrification?"

"Ugh!"

"They had a secret code word to acquire the antidote from other witches. Isn't that cool?" Kylie throws her stuffed cat, knocking her sister in the face.

"Ok, ok..." Antonia closes her book, and turns off the desk lamp before getting into bed. She darts her glance both ways before pulling out a headlamp.

"No reading light!" Antonia sighs, putting the headlamp under her bed.

"I can't believe you don't care about this stuff."

"I can't believe you think the plague occurred in the Byzantine."

"The Yersinia Pestis virus was around as early as the 1100s."

"If you don't shut your stupid witch mouth right now I'll strangle your consciousness back into the 1100s!"

"GIRLS!" A combination of voices echoes up through the stairwell, excluding Gillian's. She chuckles behind everyone.

"Oh Sal, give them a break."

"They have school tomorrow!"

Kylie sits up in bed, smiling: "Sorry!"

Antonia pulls her pillow over face, unable to contain herself any further. She starts laughing into it. Kylie flops into bed, joining the chorus.

 

**Line of Life**

 

"Today is Monday," Antonia sings, "Monday the....."

"Chem test day." Antonia groans.

"Everybody happy?"

"No."

"....well I should say." Antonia slides off the chair next to Kylie's. "I thought you liked that song?"

"Maybe when we were in second grade. Third, tops."

"Before or after aunt Gilli turned Mrs. Hansen into a frog?"

"Oh man, I almost forgot about that. I hated her!" Antonia flattens her lips and sticks her tongue out with a _ribbit_.

"What's for breakfast? We should save some for the aunts, so think of something good." Antonia rinses her hands off in the sink.

"Toast?" Kylie flips through her notes again.

"Ooh, I have just enough time for frittata." Antonia wipes her hands off on a towel and opens the fridge. "Kylie, you're going to give yourself an aneurysm."

Kylie scoffs. "I need to get a 95 in the class to be able to graduate early. I'm three credits away from being able to leave the annals of public education and dedicate myself to magic full time. I can almost taste it, it's so close!"

"Come on, high school isn't totally ridiculous." They watch the eggs slide into the cast iron before Antonia starts whisking them up into a frothy mess.

"You have no idea. It's totally ridiculous. I wish mom would have just let me quit already, it's such a waste of time."

"What, quit now and give up the opportunity to travel two towns over where the only thing to do is drink crappy coffee in the strip mall parking lot?" They share a chortle. "I'll put some toast in for you."

Kylie pauses. "Are mom and Gilli back today?"

"Not sure." Antonia closes the oven, sliding her hands together with satisfaction. "Why?"

"Because Gilli is much better at divining than I am, and I think Mrs. Weatherly has an appointment this afternoon."

"I'll take her if it's after 3:30, I'd like to see if I've got my new pendulum figured out."

"Don't bother. If you get anything wrong she'll crucify you."

"Don't worry about me, I'll turn up my charm." Antonia snaps her fingers, causing the toast to fly into the air. "Think fast!"

"ANTONIA." Kylie catches her breakfast without thinking, then grabs her binder with her free hand. "Oh, you put some jam on it, thanks! I have to get going."

"Everyone underestimates me in this house." Antonia lets out a playful sigh.

"I'll send you a text when I figure out what the schedule is for this afternoon."

“You’re the best. See you later!” Antonia curtseys as Kylie takes a bite of toast and runs out the door.

 

**Line of Marriage**

 

Kylie has turned him down, and down, and down, and down again. It’s not because she doesn’t like him, she does - he offers to buy her sugary coffees after their English class often, and also finds high school utterly useless. Not even in an “I’m going to drop out and start a band” way, like the last guy who pursued her.

This gentleman prefers sociological linguistics. He likes understanding why people communicate the way they communicate. He can’t understand why Kylie is always rubbing her palm, and she can’t bring herself to tell him.

She worries that Antonia will feel her heart jumping into her throat. Antonia who is busy costuming the school play. Antonia who is busy learning about their family history. Antonia who is busy setting the record straight to anyone who will listen. Antonia who is _busy._

Even though they are young (she knows this) she doesn’t want to kill him. This is the other thing she can’t bring herself to say. On her fifth vanilla latte this week, she sits him down.

“This has to stop.”

“I thought you liked vanilla lattes?”

“I do...it’s...we can’t do...the thing. This thing. Whatever we’re doing right now.”

“Ok.” He sighs. “It’s not the whole ‘we’re young’ business again is it?”

“No, it’s not that....but even if it was, it wouldn’t matter. I don’t mean to insult your intelligence or anything, you just wouldn’t understand.”

“Try me.”

“Alright. I warned you.” She frowns, letting out a deep nasal exhale. “I’m a witch.”

Before he can protest, she’s snapped her fingers, and both coffees have been refilled to the top, with little swirls of cream dancing atop the foam.

“I’m also literally cursed. Happy?” He is quiet, but his excitement is palpable.

“This is....the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.”  

“Don’t get too excited, all the boyfriends in my family end up dead. It wouldn’t last long between us. You’re a cool kid though, you’ll find someone who won’t unintentionally murder you, I’m sure.”

“...you could probably murder me intentionally and I’d be ok with it.”

She laughs: “Well, my dad got hit by a truck.”

“Bring it!” They laugh together but she doesn’t agree to go out with him. He respects her decision.

///

Antonia whispers into the air: “I’m not trying to tattle, I just thought you should know.”

Frances and Jet nod from the dining room table. _You were right to tell us._

When Kylie walks through the door, she’s greeted.

“Antonia snitched on me, didn’t she?”

“Your mother’s extended her trip for a day. No one’s mad at you for coming home late, but you should come sit with us.” Jet puts an arm on her shoulder.

Kylie’s nervous: “Am I in trouble?”

“Heavens no,” Frances pours them all some tea from a kettle resting on hot plate atop the table. “We’re just worried about you.”

“I’ve been out studying. I just really need to get a good grade in AP Chem so I can be done with school. All I want to do is stay home and practice magic.”  

“It’s not that either.” Jet hands her a cup.

“Antonia told us about Peter.”

“How did -” Kylie looks at her palm, “I’m an idiot.”

“Having emotions is nothing to apologize for, dear.” Jet grabs her hand.

At that moment, Gilli bursts through the door laughing, holding a woman in her arms. All three of them stare in silence as she drags her friend off towards her bedroom. Kylie puts a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing.

“If the curse was still viable, she’d have a line of dead bodies behind her.” Jet muses.

“A cemetery’s worth!” Frances squawks.

“Did it specify gentlemen?” Jet ponders, taking another sip of tea. Frances swats her hand with a _pish-tosh._

“If you want to have fun, have fun. If you want to fall in love, fall in love. We’ll be here for you always.” Frances gives Kylie’s shoulder a squeeze before getting up and taking their dishes to the kitchen. “Fear is a nasty thing. Don’t let it ruin your life.”

“Take some time for yourself.” Jet reaches into her shawl and pulls out a folded piece of parchment.

Kylie uncreases the paper. It’s an incantation for photographic memory. Jet smiles at her across the table.

 

**Line of Head**

 

Antonia is curled in an uncomfortable sitting position at her desk, with the end of a pen in her mouth.

“Antonia. Please come to bed.”

“I don’t know if I want to go or not.”

“You have a few weeks to decide, don’t stress about it right now.”

“There’s just so much to do here. Mom needs help with the store, everyone’s still messing us up.”

Kylie sits up in bed: “If you just stay here your whole life, you’ll just be doing more of the same every day until you die. That doesn’t sound like fun at all to me.”

“You’ve wanted to move since I was in Kindergarten.”

“Because there’s nothing going on here and everyone hates us. Imagine going somewhere where you didn’t have a stigma attached to your presence.” Kylie sighs. “Forget it, if you don’t want to go I’m going in your place.”

“What about Peter?”

“He’ll live. I’m sure he’ll find another girl to critique bureaucracy with and buy coffees for.” Kylie claps her hands together. “You should sleep on it. Honestly though, I don’t know why you’re freaking out about this, it’s everything you want: a summer abroad studying craft history in England. It even said you guys would take a 2 week trip to Spain to learn about Brujería España. Staying here just isn’t worth it. It’s only a summer!”

“I know but…”

“Your personal statement got a handwritten commendation from the program lead. They may want you back to teach in the future.”

“I don’t know if I’m ready yet.”

Kylie hits her head with her hands.

“Whatever dork. I’m going to sleep. Turn the light off when you go to bed please.”

Antonia puts her index fingernail in her mouth and runs it over her teeth.

“Stop freaking out. It’s going to be fine.” Kylie flops onto her pillow with a pronounced _thud._

“Ok.” Antonia shuts the light off, but stays in her chair.

 

**Line of Fate**

 

The sun freckles rays through the leaves on the trees. Kylie runs her thumb over her palm as Peter follows her up the stairs. She opens the mailbox where a letter awaits from Antonia.

“Knew it!”

“Why doesn’t she just send you an email?”

“You wouldn’t get it.”

“Why doesn’t she just write on her palm or something?”

“It doesn’t work like that.”

“What about -”

“Oh my God. If one more word comes out of your mouth I’m turning you into a rodent!” She flips the envelope over. On the back, Antonia’s scrawled: _Hello to Peter, if you haven’t killed him yet!_ “I’m half tempted to!”

“I think I’ll see you later…” He chuckles. “Just in case some Robespierre shit starts to go down at your house.”

“Get real. Robespierre didn’t get offed until the rest of the proletariat got sick of him.” Kylie slides her finger through the top of the envelope ripping it open.

“Are you sick of me?”

“Not quite.” They peck on the lips before Peter hops down the stairs. “Are we still making sorbet?”

“After I get back from the store, sure.”

Her cheeks flush as he walks down the sidewalk. She slides Antonia’s letter out of the envelope.

_First of all, I saw that, and you both are gross._

Kylie laughs.

_I’m so glad you convinced me to go on this trip, Ky. It’s been amazing! I’ve met girls from all over the world who are just like us. Every single one of them has different skills and talents. I barely even notice that I’m the youngest. Though, one of the older girls wanted to take us all to the pub so we had to work on our shape shifting. I tried some food called “bubble and squeak”. Not as good as Bedknobs and Broomsticks made it sound. Yuck! Luckily their tea here is top notch. The Aunts would be in heaven._

_It’s been crazy to see all the things I’d been reading about up close. We went to an art museum and the program lead was showing us how artists would paint charms into their work. If they weren’t fond of their commissioner, it was bad luck - and if they wanted more work it was good luck. Sometimes a mix of the two. I had no idea how intricate everything was!_

_In the next week or so, we’ll be off to Spain like you said. Brujería España is something I haven’t read much about, so it’ll be fun to dive in head first._

_Please give my love to everyone at home!_

_Miss you,_

_-Antonia_

 

Kylie holds the letter up to her heart, and squeezes it close. She then places it between her hands: _Miss you too, Antonia._

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Ugh, my laptop broke right before I got your assignment, so this is a lot shorter than I'd originally wanted. Hopefully it does your prompt some justice! Title is taken from the song "Hands" by Alpine.


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